The invention relates generally to articles having an erasable writing surface.
As commonly used, the term “dry erase” as applied to an article (e.g., a white board) refers to the ability to write or mark on that article with ink (e.g., using a felt tip marking pen), and later erase the ink without the need of a liquid cleaner. In practice, inks intended for use with dry erase surfaces are often specifically formulated for use with individual surface compositions, and may not be useful on all types of dry erase materials.
Dry erase articles are known in the art generally as articles having surfaces that a user may write upon using ink markers. The user may then erase written indicia using an eraser (e.g. a cloth or a felt pad).
Commonly available dry erase substrates (sometimes referred to as “dry erase boards” or “whiteboards”) sold commercially comprise a rigid backing material, a front dry erasable surface, a stiff frame surrounding the edge of the dry erasable surface, a stiff tray positioned at the bottom for holding dry erase markers and erasers, and a mechanical attachment mechanism for mounting the product to a wall (e.g. screw-in mounting brackets). Typically, these products range in size from small (e.g. 8½ in×11 in) to very large (e.g. 48 in×96 in, and larger). The larger conventional dry erase products are disadvantaged in that they are heavy, and typically designed for permanent mounting on the wall, which makes them ill-suited for transportation to meetings and also for mounting on office partition walls. Also, these dry erase products are often difficult to mount, typically requiring the use of power tools. The smaller dry erase boards provide limited space for written material.
Exemplary dry erase boards using cured melamine resins are manufactured by GBC Office Products, Skokie, Ill., Boone International, Corona, Calif., and RoseArt Company, Wood Ridge, N.J. Exemplary dry erase boards using porcelain covered steel are available from GBC Office Products and Boone International. Exemplary dry erase articles using fluoropolymer film can be obtained from Walltalkers, Inc., Fairlawn, Ohio.
Boards designed to be carried and displayed at various locations are also commercially available. These boards are lighter than conventional dry erase boards, and some fold for transport. In addition, lighter boards specifically designed for mounting on office partition walls have been commercialized. These boards often feature hook and loop type or office partition type mounting attachments for securing the boards to vertical surfaces. The cost of these transportable boards can be quite expensive. The mobile and cubicle boards also have a number of shortcomings with respect to performance. Many of the mobile boards are only marginally easy to transport and require installation at the destination using either a wall-mounted rail or separate cubicle hooks. Additionally, these boards are stiff and awkward to carry, and the desire for a compact carrying size limits the available writing area. Moreover, transportability often means a loss of other desirable product features. For example, means to mount the boards, as well as means to store markers and erasers are often absent from the mobile products.
Examples of mobile dry erase surfaces include, the Boone® Off The Wall Modular System Dry Erase Boards, manufactured ACCO World Corporation, Lincolnshire, Ill. and the Quartet Cubicle Dry-Erase Board with Graphite Frame, manufactured by General Binding Corporation, Northbrook, Ill.
Dry erase surfaces formed on flexible sheeting are also known in the art. These surfaces allow for high ease of transportation of the surface. The thin sheet format of the surface allows the user to erroneously write past the edge of the sheet, which can cause the user to write on the underlying surface (e.g. a wall), resulting in unsightly marks. The thin sheets similarly do not adequately prevent accidental movement of the eraser past the edge of the sheet, which can result in unsightly “smudging” of the wall due to deposition of ink dust by the eraser. Additionally, means to mount the boards, as well as means to store markers and erasers are often absent from these products. The mounting mechanisms used often result in sagging of the sheet, due to the flexible nature of the surface.
Examples of flexible sheeting dry erase surfaces are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,581 (Boyd) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,500 (Varga & Baechle), and in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2003/0008095 and 2004/0091849. Commercially available flexible dry erase surfaces include vinyl films, and ultraviolet radiation (UV) curable hardcoat films. Exemplary vinyl dry erase articles are sold by Best-Rite Manufacturing, Temple, Tex. Exemplary WV curable hardcoat film dry erase boards are commercially available from General Binding Corporation, Northbrook, Ill. and ACCO World Corporation, Lincolnshire, Ill.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an easily transportable dry erase surface that allows for a variety of writing surface areas without significantly altering the ease of transportation, and which preserves the written material on the dry erase surface during transport. It would also be desirable to provide a user friendly surface to the user that helps prevent the user from writing or erasing past the peripheral edge of the sheet onto the supporting surface. Further, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism for storing markers, erasers, and other items with the dry erase surface without substantially compromising its transportability.